Thanks XNavy - I admit I never actually asked HIM what type of macaw it was - I just made the assumption myself...it well could be a different type, and to defend the owner's knowledge, he may well know what type he's got - the error if any was mine! I've known that bird for about 6 years now - he's often at the same wetlands area as I am, out birding with his owner. It's name is 'poof'...he's even got some videos of it on YouTube under 'Poof the macaw'.

The deer were flushing him out for me Yes wolf the eaglewatch is on soon,that's where I was and we saw probably 50 or so eagles in a couple hours.Unfortunately it was later in the afternoon and very overcast,most of them were inactive and hanging in bunches in trees far back from the roads.I'm thinking an earlier morning visit is in order when they are more accessible.I actually want to get in contact with the farmer in charge of delivering the food...I would like to setup my Go Pro camera on a post just a few feet from the dead chicken I can remotely operate it from up to 6ooft away

Now for something a bit different.This guy flew in around me today,I couldn't get pic because of bushes in the way,I couldn't move,so,I switched to video and manual focus (operating without my glasses )rested the cam in the snow and let it roll for about 5 mins while he went after a bug he could hear.The cam did upset in the middle but a bit of editing fixed it Male Pileated woodpecker....our biggest Woodpecker....http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/lifehistory

we see those woodpeckers up here but rarely.. I have only glimpsed one at one time. Seems they kill a lot of trees up here so its another thing everyone just shoots around here... same with the hairy woodpecker... everyone shoots them as well as they say they have a bad habit of pecking up houses, garages and barns. Only woodpecker relatively safe and abundant up here is the downy woodpecker. What makes me sad about this is that they are relatively unafraid of humans so it is quite easy to get close to them which makes them easy to shoot and kill.

On a similar note.. my neighbour, who has 3000 achers of land and a LOT of cows, called a few days ago to inform me that he was setting snares for coyotes.. I guess it is law up here to inform your neighbours when setting snares or traps. One side of me says forget about it and the other side says go out and try to catch a photograph of one in a snare and send it to a provincial wildlife organization to use for propaganda...

On the coyote, when my parents had cows I went visiting with my German Sherherd, as they didn`t know the dog, they got quite protective and wouldn`t let him near the calves. The soon got used to him and he was happily interacting with them.

I wouldn`t imagine that coyote account for a large number of cows, surely they can keep a predator that size away, unless its when a cow is quietly calving somewhere away from the herd. There usually is one cow in charge and they are protective, we never lost any calves to foxes or wild dogs. Sheep I could understand.

Our coyotes here in the east are a cross between coyotes and the eastern timberwolf.They grow to upwards of 70lbs and sometimes hunt in packs.They can and do take down calves if they come across them also cattle in deep snow if they are left out or get stranded.We have had one count of a healthy human being killed and half eaten in a National Park here but it is widely believed the coyotes were fed by humans and acclimatized or altered in some manner throughout an entire summer and later in the fall when the tourists stopped coming and the food/handout supply got shorter...the incident took place.I travel the woods and coyote territory a lot,I have never felt threatened but then some would mention me chasing after bears for pics trying to get close and think I'm nuts too.

Trapping and hunting them and other predators is an effective and well regulated wildlife management tool.

out here there has been a bounty on them for about 15 years now... $25 per set of paws.

Now they are trying to make it legal to shoot crows and ravens up here.. seems there are 2 instances where a "murder", pardon the pun, of crows have grouped together to kill calves by continusly pecking on the new-born's head.

I agree with the proper management of animals under certain circumstances but here in the prairies they seem to go overboard all too often... example.. farmers in middle saskatchewan wanna start shooting hawks as they say they are dangerous to chicken and rabbit ranchers even though both are housed in enclosures. They just love shooting **** up here is all... I found that porcupine I had been photographing dead the other day... shot...

Dont get me wrong.. I enjoy fishing and eating wild game more than most I just hate the senseless killing of wild animals based of fear, ignorance and just plain stupidity.

farmers have a lot pf political pull in the prairies and usually get their way when push comes to shove...hence the very conservative government out this way.

Not a wonderful pic. They arrived suddenly. Had to grab camera, switch lens then get outside. Only got the one shot before they moved on out of sight. This is called a "murmuration" of starlings here in the UK. What is it called elsewhere?

Dont get me wrong.. I enjoy fishing and eating wild game more than most I just hate the senseless killing of wild animals based of fear, ignorance and just plain stupidity.

That's one of the biggest problems for wildlife, they're being killed for stupid reasons just because people are stupid. I feel the same Wolfsong, it's just ridiculous.Sad to hear the porcupine's been shot

cheers kpr for the info on the coyote, I didn`t realize they crossed with wolves.

There is a certain element of farmers here, were self interest is high on the agenda, same with conservative politics, but then you got greenies going the other way, got no idea either.

In the end I wish for more common sense from everyone until people understand that the better off the whole community is the better for everyone, still some people think its ok to trample on others to further themselves.

Not to go down the gun debate with so many recent events, but the best thing that happened around here is the gun buy back scheeme, got rid of loads semi and fully automatic weapons. Certainly got rid of a lot guns out of the idiot elements. Now only people in clubs and farms can own high powered rifles, I think semi auto`s are stillbanned.. Still I did go ferral pig hunting in Queensland with an AK47 once, certainly was interesting and my semi auto 22 Ruger was great for cleaning up foxes and rabbits on the farm.See a lot less shot up signs around the place, less nutters on the back of utes/ pickups. Guns are only tools when cold calm logic exist, they are safe, but people are emotional beings with faults.

I don't want to take it too far or even start a debate about guns (after all this is a photography forum and a wildlife post), but I'd just like to mention that guns are not bad, they are just misused by crazy/stupid people.